Friday, August 28, 2015

The Iron Curtain is History. Is the "Ice Curtain" Next?

It's not just global warming that's transforming the face of the Arctic. It's also Russian president Vlad Putin and his very clear Arctic ambitions both territorial and military.

A new report from the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies, The New Ice Curtain, Russia's Strategic Reach to the Arctic, suggests the 20-year old Arctic Council needs, at the very least, a facelift to address security concerns in the high north including confidence-building, multi-lateral military agreements between Russia and her Arctic neighbours.

The report notes that Moscow sees Russia as the Arctic superpower, the polar hegemon but the authors also warn against demonizing Russia for taking steps justified in the protection of its national interests only because we haven't kept pace.

Typical Photoshop Steve. Promises arctic bases and icebreakers and delivers nothing. Transfers 230 million dollars of taxpayer money to the Irving family in New Brunswick just to design an imaginary icebreaker, and has nothing to show for it. Photoshop Steve.